This Task

Arabella gulped hard and subconsciously bit her lower lip. This man’s grey colored eyes were deadly, yet there was something alluring and captivating about them. ‘He looks like he’s going to swallow me alive,’ she nervously thought. He resembled a predator pinning her in place as if she were his prey.

His hair was still damp, and she quickly looked away because he was nearly naked before her. Not entirely naked, as his lower half was wrapped in a towel, but his chiseled body was far too distracting.

“You’re such a bold woman, huh? Do you think you can just run away after the mess you caused? Do you even know who you’ve been messing with?” he grunted, his firm, deep voice sending shivers down her spine.

Then the words from the woman earlier rang in her mind: “I refuse to marry you, Sebastian Bancroft!”

Subconsciously, she turned to meet his eyes and muttered in terror, “Sebastian Bancroft?”

His serious expression twisted into a more wicked look, a devious smirk spreading across his face as if he were satisfied by the recognition.

She had heard of him and his reputation, but she had never known what he looked like. He was a recluse who guarded his privacy fiercely, but his name alone was enough to spell trouble. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would cross paths with this man. Many feared being on his bad side, and now she just had.

‘I’m in great trouble!’ she thought nervously, her pulse racing.

“I… I need to go now,” she stammered, taking a hesitant step back. She had to run for her life, or she might end up dead. But Sebastian moved quickly, closing the distance between them in long strides. Arabella stepped back, only to feel the cold surface of the door pressing against her.

His sharp eyes squinted at her as he growled, “Aren’t you a stubborn one, huh? I told you not to move, and now you want to leave? Tell me what happened last night and how you ended up in my bed. I clearly don’t remember meeting you, woman.”

She held her breath as he inched closer, his warm breath brushing against her face as he demanded, “How come we’re both naked, but I don’t remember anything at all? Did you drug me?”

For a moment, there was silence. She couldn’t tell him what she knew, doing so would compromise her father’s life. Her heart pounded in her chest as he demanded, “Well? Are you suddenly mute?”

“I don’t know,” she murmured, unable to meet his gaze. “I was drunk last night…” She trailed off, as though struggling to recollect what happened. “I have a room booked and I must have… walked into the wrong room.”

Sebastian let out an annoyed, mocking laugh before slamming his hand against the wall beside her, making her flinch. “A mistake? Do you take me for a fool, woman?! You’re not leaving until you give me a proper explanation for this!”

“I already told you that I don’t know, so what explanation do you want? Even if you squeeze the truth out of me right now, you won’t get anything. So, will you just let me go?” she hissed.

Taking a deep breath, she added, “How about this? I’ll talk to your girlfriend later and explain that this was a misunderstanding. But for now… I have somewhere important I need to be.”

Sebastian ran his fingers through his hair in frustration before firmly gripping her chin, tilting her face toward him. “Aren’t you an interesting one? You even sound annoyed,” he muttered, his tone both irritated and amused. “How about we try this… Both of us woke up naked and can’t remember what happened. So why don’t we recall it together, hmm?”

Before she could respond, Arabella felt his lips crash against hers. She let him slide his tongue into her mouth, succumbing momentarily to the sensation building between them.

But as soon as she felt him drop his guard, Arabella seized the opportunity and kneed his groin hard.

“Fuck!” Sebastian cursed, grabbing his groin. She shoved him away with all her strength. As he stumbled, she moved swiftly, yanking the door open.

She practically ran down the hallway, heading straight for the hotel’s exit. She hailed a cab and quickly got inside, panting.

“Leave now!” she told the driver.

“Where to, Ma’am?”

“Meta Doctors Hospital! Please hurry!” she instructed, glancing nervously out the back window, praying that Sebastian wouldn’t run after her. He couldn’t, being practically naked, but she knew he had plenty of men around to give instructions to.

“Sir, please drive faster. I need to be with my father,” she urged, and the cab driver sped up. She wasn’t lying… time was precious to her right now. She didn’t even have her mobile phone with her since the instructions had been clear: to come with nothing but herself.

To be honest, she didn’t fully understand who wanted to sabotage Sebastian’s marriage. Arabella was in the dark about most of the details. She had taken this risk because she was desperate.

While on the road, her eyes darted toward the car window as her mind wandered back to how she had ended up in this situation. She couldn’t help but reminisce about the encounter she’d had with a mysterious man two days ago.

She had been in the hospital lobby, sitting on a chair and crying, when an unknown man approached her. He sat beside her, offering her a handkerchief.

“Life can sometimes be cruel. But there are those fortunate ones who choose wisely to turn their lives around and to change it for the better, don’t you think?”

Arabella had turned to look at the older man, still sniffing. He wore a kind smile as he added bluntly, “How about becoming one of those fortunate women? Turn your life around and make it better.”

Arabella took a deep breath, snapping back to reality. With a crumpled expression, she muttered, “Dad will kill me when he finds out what I just did to save him.” Then she pouted, murmuring to herself, “He told me I’d be sabotaging a union not meant to be… that I’d be doing everyone a favor. But why do I feel like this task is going to turn my life upside down and chaotic?”